Haryana government today referred back Lokayukta's recent report recommending a criminal case against Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ram Kishan Fauji in an alleged cash-for-CLU license scandal, asking the constitutional authority to "re-examine" the matter.
Haryana's Lokayukta had recently recommended filing of an FIR in a matter pertaining to a video footage purportedly showing Fauji demanding Rs five crore bribe for Change of Land Use (CLU) licence for a piece of land along the National Highway 8 in Gurgaon.
Speaking to reporters here, Haryana Chief Secretary S C Choudhary said, "The state government has examined the Lokayukta's report. There is a variation in the findings and observations made by the Lokayukta in his report."
"Reference has been made by the government to Lokayukta to re-examine and re-consider the entire matter," he added.
"After examining the Lokayukta report it has come to notice that no illegality has taken place in the case in consideration," Choudhary, who was accompanied by Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda and other top officers of the government at the press conference, said.
"The report is not a binding upon the government... government has to examine Lokayukta's findings and observations before taking any action," Choudhary said.
"From the report no offence has been made out into the allegations...So the report has been referred back to Lokayukta for re-consideration," he said.
Opposition Indian Nationa Lok Dal (INLD), on September 6 last year, had released a video clip of Fauji allegedly demanding Rs five crore as bribe for getting the CLU done.
Fauji had dubbed the video as "doctored" and said it was an attempt by INLD to malign his image.
Facing the heat on the issue, the Haryana government had referred the matter to Lokayukta in September last year.
